Troubleshooting Power Over Ethernet (PoE)

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Cisco Catalyst 3750 Series Switches
Troubleshooting Power over Ethernet (PoE)

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SUPPORT
Troubleshooting Power Over Ethernet Troubleshooting Power over
PRODUCT SUPPORT Terminology Ethernet (PoE)
SWITCHES Guidelines
Troubleshooting Categories and Symptoms
CISCO CATALYST 3750 SERIES No PoE On Only One Port
SWITCHES No PoE On All Ports or a Group of Ports
TROUBLESHOOT AND ALERTS Cisco IP Phone Disconnects or Resets
Non-Cisco Powered Device Does Not Work on Cisco PoE Switch
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDES Understanding PoE
Troubleshooting Power over Detection of Powered Devices
Ethernet (PoE) Cisco Detection (AC Discovery)
PoE Class Detection
Maintain Power Signature and Disconnect
Feedback: Help us help DC Current MPS and DC Disconnect
you 100-Hz MPS and AC Disconnect
Ethernet Link MPS and Disconnect
Please rate this document. Cisco Discovery Protocol and PoE
Excellent Monitoring Detection and Allocated Power
Non-Cisco Powered Device Problems
Good
Detection and Classification
Average Surge-In Current
Fair Overcurrent Protection and Available Power
Poor PoE LEDs
PoE and Cable Length
This document solved my Debug and PoE
problem. AC Power and PoE Problems
Yes
No
Troubleshooting Power Over Ethernet
Just Browsing
Suggestions to improve this Revised August 23, 2010
document. This guide is for troubleshooting Power over Ethernet (PoE) in the
Catalyst 3750-E, 3750, 3560-E, and 3560 switch product families. Topics
related to earlier PoE switches are also included.
For precise CLI and message format, see the switch software configuration
guides and command references for the specific switches.
(512 character limit) There are minor variations in both the command-line interface (CLI) and
If you have provided a PoE functions from the earliest to the newest switch. Characteristics
suggestion, please enter your unique to a specific switch family or hardware version are listed when
full name and e-mail address. appropriate.
This information is optional This guide contains these sections:
and allows us to contact you if
• Terminology
necessary.
• Guidelines
Name: • Troubleshooting Categories and Symptoms
E-mail: • Understanding PoE
Terminology
These terms used in this document:
• 802.3af—The IEEE standard for PoE, often referred to as
IEEE-compliant.
• CDP—Cisco Discovery Protocol. A Cisco Layer 2 protocol that
enables switches and routers to quickly identify other Cisco devices
when directly connected or connected to the same VLAN.
• Cable diagnostics—A feature in specific switches that detects
electrical defects in Ethernet cables. See also TDR.
• Endpoint PSE—Switched-based power source equipment, an
Ethernet switch that provides PoE.
• FLP—Fast Link Pulse. An Ethernet protocol message used during
standards-based link speed and duplex autonegotiation.
• FRU—field-replaceable unit, typically a power supply or fan module.
• Midspan PSE—power source equipment (a PoE source) in a patch
panel.
• MPS—maintain power signature. The powered device must continue
to be detected by a PSE in order to maintain a power feed from the
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PSE.
• PoE—Power over Ethernet
• PSE—power-source equipment. Typically an Ethernet switch or power
patch panel that provides PoE.
• PTC—positive temperature coefficient (a self-resetting fuse)
• SNR—Signal-to-noise ratio
• TDR—time domain reflectometer. Also referred to as cable
diagnostics, a feature used by switches to test electrical properties of
Ethernet cables.
• UPS—Uninterruptible power supply
• WAP—wireless access point
Guidelines
Consider these guidelines before troubleshooting any PoE problem:
• Carefully verify the symptom. For example, does a powered device not
power up at all, or does it power up briefly and then power down?
Obtain as much detail as possible regarding the symptom, including
any system messages from the PoE switch.
• Did the trouble occur on initial installation, or did it begin after the
powered device was working normally?
• If the trouble started after the powered device was working, what
changed? Were there any hardware or software changes?
• Did any specific event occur at the powered device when the problem
occurred?
• Did anything occur in the local network when the problem occurred?
Use the show log privileged EXEC command to review the switch log
and SNMP traps.
• Does the problem happen at a specific time of day or night? (There
could be electrical actions at the installation site possibly causing the
problem.)
• If an IP phone works normally between intermittent reboots, the
problem could be related to PoE or an electrical connection in the
cable. It could also be caused by a temporary loss of connectivity
between the IP phone and the call manager.
Troubleshooting Categories and Symptoms

• No PoE On Only One Port
• No PoE On All Ports or a Group of Ports
• Cisco IP Phone Disconnects or Resets
• Non-Cisco Powered Device Does Not Work on Cisco PoE Switch
No PoE On Only One Port

Follow these steps when the trouble is on only one switch port. Confirm
that PoE and Non-PoE devices do not work on this port but work on other
ports.
Step 1 Verify that the powered device works on other ports and that the
problem is only on one port.
Step 2 Use the show run and show interface status privileged EXEC
commands to verify that the port is not shut down. (Most Cisco
switches turn off port power when the port shuts down.)
Step 3 Use the show interface status privileged EXEC command to

verify that the switch port is not error disabled.
Step 4 Use the show run and show power inline interface-id privileged
EXEC command to verify that the power inline never interface
configuration command is not configured on the port.
Step 5 Verify that the Ethernet cable from the phone to the switch port is
good. Connect a known good non-PoE Ethernet device to the
Ethernet cable, and make sure that it establishes a link and
exchanges traffic with another host.
Step 6 Verify that the total cable length from the switch front panel to the
connected device (powered device) is not more than 100 meters.
For more information, see the cable diagnostics section in the
switch software configuration guide.
Step 7 Disconnect the Ethernet cable from the switch port. Use a short
Ethernet cable to connect a known good Ethernet device to this
switch port (not at a patch panel). Verify that the device
establishes an Ethernet link and exchanges traffic with another
host, or ping the port VLAN SVI. Next, connect a powered device
to this port, and verify that it powers on. If it does not power on, go
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to Step 8.
Step 8 Use the show inline power and show inline power detail
privileged EXEC commands to compare the number of connected
powered devices against the switch power budget (available
PoE). Verify that switch power budget can power the device.
Note If the switch power budget is depleted, additional powered devices will
not power-on when connected to a PoE port. CDP (Cisco Discovery
Protocol) helps identify Cisco devices and correctly establish the switch
power budget.
These sections provide additional information and include command

examples about troubleshooting a switch that has no PoE on one port:
• Detection of Powered Devices
• Monitoring Detection and Allocated Power
• Overcurrent Protection and Available Power
• PoE and Cable Length
No PoE On All Ports or a Group of Ports

Follow these steps when there is no power on any port or a consecutive
group of ports. Confirm that nonpowered Ethernet devices can establish
an Ethernet link on any port and that PoE devices do not power on.

verify that the ports are not shut down and not error disabled.
Step 2 Use the show env all, show interface status, and show power
inline privileged EXEC commands to review power status if no
powered device on any port can power on. Use the show log
privileged EXEC command to review alarms reported earlier by
system messages.
Step 3 If the trouble is on all ports, the PoE section of the power supply
might be defective if the switch works normally except for PoE and
if non-PoE devices can establish an Ethernet link on any port. If
the trouble is on a consecutive group of ports but not all ports,
there could be a defective PoE subsection in the switch.
Step 4 If there is a persistent alarm related to power, replace the power

supply if it is field-replaceable. Otherwise, replace the switch.
Step 5 If there are no alarms reported by LEDs, CLI messages, or in the

output of the show env all privileged EXEC command, connect a
powered device directly to a switch port. Do not use the existing
distribution cables. Use only a short patch cord to make the
connection.
Step 6 Enter the shut and no shut interface configuration commands on

this port. Use the show power inline privileged EXEC command
to verify that the powered device receives power when the port is
not shut down.
In some cases, it may be appropriate to disconnect the Ethernet cables

from all but one switch port, and leave a powered device connected to only
that PoE port.
If this connection using a short patch cord allows the powered device to
power on, verify that all intermediate patch panels are correctly connected,
and that the total cable length does not exceed 100 meters. If the cable
diagnostics feature is supported by the switch, temporarily disconnect the
powered device, and use this feature to verify total cable length.
Step 7 If a powered device powers on when it is the only one connected
to the switch, enter the shut and no shut interface configuration
commands on the remaining ports. Reconnect the Ethernet lines
one at a time to the switch PoE ports. Use the show interface
status and show power inline privileged EXEC commands as
each line and powered device is reconnected to monitor inline
power statistics and port status.
Cisco IP Phone Disconnects or Resets

Follow these steps when a working Cisco IP Phone or wireless access
point intermittently reloads or disconnects from inline power.
Step 1 Verify all electrical connections from the switch to the powered
device. Any unreliable connection results in power interruptions
and intermittent powered device operations, such as powered
device disconnects and reloads.
Step 2 Verify that the total cable length from the switch front panel to the
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connected device (powered device) is not more than 100 meters.

For more information, see the cable diagnostics section in the
switch software configuration guide.
Step 3 Notice what might be changing in the electrical environment at the

switch site. What is happening at the powered device when the
disconnect occurs?
Step 4 Use the show log privileged EXEC command to review messages
and events. Notice whether any other error messages are
reported by the switch at the same time that a disconnect occurs.
Step 5 Verify that a Cisco IP Phone is not losing access to the call
manager immediately before the reload occurs. (It might be a
network problem, not a PoE problem.)
Step 6 Connect a non-PoE device to the port, and verify that it works. If a
non-PoE device has link problems or a high error rate, the
problem might be an unreliable cable connection between the
switch port and the user.
Note If a powered device can power up when only one powered

device is connected to the switch but not when all powered
devices are connected, it is possible that the power budget was
depleted. Connect powered devices one at a time, and enter the
shut and no shut interface configuration commands as each
device is connected. This clears any error-disabled states. Use
the show interface status and show power inline privileged
EXEC commands to monitor inline power statistics and port status
as each device is connected.
These sections provide additional information and include command

examples about troubleshooting a Cisco IP Phone that disconnects or
resets:
• PoE Class Detection
Non-Cisco Powered Device Does Not Work on Cisco PoE Switch

Follow these steps when a non-Cisco powered device is connected to a
Cisco PoE switch, but never powers up, or powers up and then quickly
disconnects from power (powers down). Non-PoE devices work normally.
Step 1 Use the show power inline privileged EXEC command to verify
that the switch power budget (available PoE) is not depleted
before or after the powered device is connected. Verify that
sufficient power is available for the powered device type.

verify that the powered device is detected by the switch when
connected.
Step 3 Use the show log privileged EXEC command to verify that the
powered device is not causing an overcurrent condition on the
port. Verify the symptom precisely: Does the phone initially power
on and then disconnect? If so, the problem might be an initial
current surge that exceeds a current-limit threshold for the switch
port.
Step 4 Verify that the powered device is compatible with the Cisco switch.
For example, if both units are standards-compliant, they should
interoperate. CDP cannot be used to identify a non-Cisco device,
and the switch must rely on accurate detection and classification
when working with a non-Cisco device.
These links provide additional information and include command examples

for troubleshooting a non-Cisco powered device that does not work on a
Cisco PoE switch:
Understanding PoE
• Detection of Powered Devices
• Cisco Detection (AC Discovery)
• DC Current MPS and DC Disconnect
• 100-Hz MPS and AC Disconnect
• Ethernet Link MPS and Disconnect
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• Non-Cisco Powered Device Problems
• PoE LEDs
• Debug and PoE
• AC Power and PoE Problems
Detection of Powered Devices

A switch uses detection to determine whether a powered device is
connected to a port. PoE switches generally do not apply power to the
Ethernet line unless a powered device is detected. When a powered
device is connected to a PoE switch port, the switch uses one of these
methods to detect the powered device:
• DC detection, sometimes called IEEE standard or 802.3af standard
detection. Cisco IP phones support both DC and AC detection.
• Cisco Detection, also called prestandard or AC detection. Prestandard
Cisco IP phones use this method.
Cisco and non-Cisco PoE switches and powered devices are in two major
categories:
• Pre-IEEE standard (for example, Catalyst 3500)
• Post-IEEE standard (for example, Catalyst 3560, 3750, 3560G,
3750G, 3560-E, and 3750-E)
Prestandard and poststandard phones might use different detection and
connect or disconnect methods.
Note that powered device detection occurs when an Ethernet device is
first connected to a PoE port. If a non-PoE device is connected to a PoE
port, detection is deactivated. If the non-PoE device is later disconnected
and replaced by a powered device, the switch might not detect it
immediately. A timeout of several seconds must expire before detection is
reenabled and active after a linkdown and linkup change.
Cisco Detection (AC Discovery)

This can also be called prestandard detection or discovery.
The Catalyst 3500 and earlier PoE switches use Cisco prestandard
discovery to detect IP phones or other powered devices.
• The switch sends a special Fast Link Pulse (FLP) signal to any device
connected to the port.
• The switch port determines if the special FLP signal is looped back by
the powered device receive pair to the send pair. The only devices
that loop back the FLP signal are those that would use inline power.
• When the switch detects the looped-back FLP signal and determines
that it should provide inline power to the port, the switch determines if
there is power available for the connected device. The switch might
use a default power allocation to check available power. It can then
adjust this allocation based on CDP information from a Cisco powered
device.
• The switch port then applies power to the connected device, and the
relay inside the phone releases the loopback, as shown in Figure 1.
• If the powered device is a Cisco device, it boots, and CDP becomes
active. The power budget in the switch can be adjusted by power
requirement information in CDP messages from the powered device.
Figure 1 Powered Device
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PoE Class Detection

Standards-based Cisco PoE equipment conforms to the IEEE standards
for five power classifications for powered devices.
When the switch detects a powered device and grants a power request,
the switch can adjust the power budget (available power) according to the
powered-device IEEE classification.
PoE classes describe a range of power used by a specific powered
device. Some powered devices require more power than others, and
power classes allowed switches to manage a power budget or available
power. When a powered device is detected and its class is identified, the
switch allocates (reserves) the appropriate power range.
The switch can determine the IEEE power class of the powered device by
applying approximately 20 VDC to the line and measuring the resulting
current flow. IEEE-compliant powered devices will produce a very specific
current flow in response to the 20 VDC applied by the switch.
Table 1 shows the IEEE standard power classes.
Table 1 IEEE Standard Power Classes
IEEE Power Maximum Class

802.3af delivered power used signature
Power by switch by powered current (typical
class port device and maximum)
0 15.4 W 12.95 W 0-4 mA, 6 mA
max.
1 4W 3.84 W 9-12 mA, 14.5

mA max.
2 7W 6.4 9W 17-20 mA, 23

mA max.
3 15.4 W 12.95 W 26-30 mA, 33

mA max.
4 - - 36-44 mA, 48
mA max.
Some of the power from the switch port is dissipated in the cable due to
wire resistance, especially on cables as long as 100 meters. The
remaining power is available to the powered device.
Most powered devices do not use the maximum power of their classes. For
example, some IP phones are in the class 3 category, but consume less
than 15.4 W.
If the powered device is Class 0 (class status unknown or prestandard) or
Class 3, the switch must initially budget 15.4 W for the device, regardless
of the actual amount of power needed by the powered device. If the
powered device reports a higher class than its actual power consumption
or does not support power classification (defaults to Class 0), the switch
can power fewer devices if it uses the IEEE class information to establish
and track the power budget. (Cisco switches and Cisco powered devices
can also use CDP to establish the correct power usage for the powered
device, but this occurs after the powered device is powered-up and fully
operational.) Some switches can measure the actual power used on a
per-port basis.
After classification, the switch applies 48 to 52 VDC to the line, which is
the operational voltage of telephones and wireless access points. The
powered device is now fully powered and should be operational (or
registering with the call manager if the powered device is an IP phone).
Most earlier prestandard switches such as the Catalyst 3500 can not
provide full power to newer devices such as IP phones with a color display.
Bringing the phone up in reduced power mode at least allows it to operate,
even though possibly with reduced features or reduced display brightness.
Maintain Power Signature and Disconnect

The switch uses maintain power signature (MPS) to detect the continued
presence of a powered device after detection and after power is applied.
As long as a power signature is present, the switch provides PoE. Cisco
switches and Cisco IOS use various MPS versions as described in these
sections:
• DC Current MPS and DC Disconnect
• 100-Hz MPS and AC Disconnect
• Ethernet Link MPS and Disconnect
The powered device must maintain its power signature to maintain a PoE
feed from the switch. PoE is typically removed within 500 milliseconds after
the switch no longer detects a power signature. All disconnect methods
occur at the physical layer.
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DC Current MPS and DC Disconnect

Catalyst 3750-E, 3750, 3560-E, and 3560 switches support DC current
MPS. The switch port removes power if the DC current in the current loop
to the powered device is below a specific threshold for 300 to 400
milliseconds. When a powered-up device is disconnected, the current
between the switch port receive and send pairs drops to 0.
As long as DC current is flowing between minimum and maximum
thresholds, the switch determines that a powered device is connected,
powered, and should continue receiving power, as shown in Figure 2. An
unreliable connection at some point between the switch and powered
device can cause a false disconnect.
Figure 2 DC Current Flowing Between Switch and Powered Device
A device that is locally powered by an AC power module is detected by the

PoE switch when connected to a port. However, the switch either provides
or removes power based on a low current threshold (for example, the
powered device is not using power from the switch.)
When powered devices are locally powered (no PoE), it might be
appropriate in some cases to use the power inline never interface
configuration command:
Switch(config)# int g0/1
Switch(config-if)# power inline never
100-Hz MPS and AC Disconnect

Some early Catalyst 3750 and 3560 switches apply a 100-Hz signal
between the receive and send pairs of the Ethernet port. A low-pass filter
in the powered device loads (attenuates) the 100-Hz signal level below a
specific threshold. The low-pass filter works only at 100 Hz and does not
loop back normal traffic or Ethernet control signals.
The switch does not detect the attenuated 100-Hz signal when the
powered device has the low-pass filter between the receive and send
pairs. This means that a powered device is still connected and powered
on, and that power to the device should continue, as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3 100-Hz Amplitude
When the powered device is disconnected, the100-Hz signal loading is

removed from the line and the 100 Hz signal goes up beyond a specific
threshold. The switch detects the signal level increase and recognizes that
a powered device has been disconnected. The switch removes PoE from
the Ethernet port.
Some early Catalyst 3560 and 3750 PoE switches use the 100-Hz MPS
method with early Cisco IOS versions, but later Cisco IOS versions on
these switches change the MPS mode to DC current.
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Ethernet Link MPS and Disconnect

If Cisco detection is used, a Cisco PoE switch generally removes PoE from
a port if the switch port detects loss of Ethernet link. (If IEEE detection is
used, DC or AC MPS methods detect disconnects. Power to a device can
continue when an MPS signal is present, even if the Ethernet link is
down.) The disconnect method depends on the connected powered
device.
A Cisco switch reports when a powered device is connected or
disconnected and when an Ethernet link state changes. This example
shows a Cisco IP phone that was disconnected from the Ethernet port and
then reconnected. The switch then detects a powered device, applies
PoE, and detects MPS (Ethernet link).
%LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface GigabitEthernet1/0/3, changed state to
down
%ILPOWER-5-IEEE_DISCONNECT: Interface Gi1/0/3: PD removed
%LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface GigabitEthernet1/0/3, changed state to down
%ILPOWER-7-DETECT: Interface Gi1/0/3: Power Device detected: IEEE PD
%ILPOWER-5-POWER_GRANTED: Interface Gi1/0/3: Power granted
%LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface GigabitEthernet1/0/3, changed state to up
%LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface GigabitEthernet1/0/3, changed state to up
Note Unreliable plugs or jacks at any point between the phone and switch can
cause the same disconnections.
Cisco Discovery Protocol and PoE

CDP (Cisco Discovery Protocol) is a Cisco-proprietary Layer 2 protocol
that runs on most Cisco equipment and shares information about directly
connected Cisco equipment.
Cisco PoE switches using CDP can recognize Cisco powered devices
such as IP phones and wireless access points. The actual power
requirement can be advertised by the powered device, and the unused
class power is returned to the switch power budget.
To use CDP for powered device discovery, enable it on the switch and on
the PoE ports. (CDP is typically enabled by default.)
When a Cisco powered device (phone or WAP) powers on, CDP sends a
message that tells the switch how much power the powered device
actually needs. The switch CPU adjusts the power allocation for the port
and adjusts the power budget.
Without CDP, if a powered device is connected but the class is 0 (default)
or cannot be identified, the switch must reserve the maximum per-port PoE
for the powered device. This can quickly deplete the power budget and, in
a worst case, could result in a total artificial power budget depletion. Then
the switch might not allocate power to a detected powered device even
though power is still available.
For example, if a non-Cisco IEEE 802.3af Class 3 powered device is
detected which requires only 9 W, but the actual requirement is not known
by the PoE switch, the switch must initially budget the full per-port class
power of 15.4 W even though the device will use only 9 W. This wastes
6.4 W, and this quickly adds as multiple similar devices are connected to
the switch. An improper classification signature in the powered device can
cause the same problem. This might prevent all intended devices from
receiving power. Catalyst 3750, 3560, and newer switches monitor the
actual per-port power used after powered device detection is complete and
PoE is applied.
A Cisco IEEE+CDP powered device such as the 7970G IP phone initially
powers up in low-power mode (6.3 W), then sends a CDP message with
the actual power requirements of the device. If the required power is less
than the default 15.4 W for a Class-3 device, the switch updates its power
budget. If the requested power exceeds the power budget available for the
switch, power is either be denied, or the port remains in low-power mode
(typically 7 W).
Use the show power inline privileged EXEC command to review these
factors:
• PoE power available per switch
• PoE power used by all ports in the switch
• PoE power used by each connected powered device
• PoE power classification
Monitoring Detection and Allocated Power

To see connected Cisco devices, use the show cdp neighbor or show
cdp neighbor detail privileged EXEC commands:
Stack-1# show cdp neighbor
Capability Codes: R - Router, T - Trans Bridge, B - Source Route Bridge
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S - Switch, H - Host, I - IGMP, r - Repeater, P - Phone

Device ID Local Intrface Holdtime Capability Platform Port ID
SEP001121116D78 Gig 1/0/2 167 H P IP Phone Port 1
Stack-1# show cdp neighbor detail

-------------------------
Device ID: SEP001121116D78
Entry address(es): IP address: 192.168.1.249
Platform: Cisco IP Phone 7970, Capabilities: Host Phone
Interface: GigabitEthernet1/0/2, Port ID (outgoing port): Port 1
Holdtime : 150 sec
Note The maximum required power for this phone is 10250 milliwatts (10.25
W), but the phone can operate with reduced screen brightness at 6.3 W.
Version : SCCP70.8-0-0-74S
advertisement version: 2
Duplex: full
Power drawn: 10.250 Watts
Power request id: 28024, Power management id: 3
Power request levels are:10250 6300 0 0 0
This example shows the allocated and power budget for two switches in a
Stackwise stack. Switch 1 (Module 1) is a 3750-E, and switch 2 is a
3750G.
Stack-1# show power inline
Module Available Used Remaining
(Watts) (Watts) (Watts)
------ --------- -------- ---------
1 420.0 22.2 397.8
2 370.0 18.2 351.8
This example shows per-port power usage:

Interface Admin Oper Power Device Class Max
(Watts)
--------- ------ ---------- ------- ------------------- ----- ----
Gi1/0/1 auto on 6.3 IP Phone 7960 0 15.4
Gi2/0/1 auto on 15.4 IP Phone CP-7970G 3 15.4
Gi2/0/2 auto on 8.5 AIR-AP1220-IOS n/a 15.4
Note This 7970 is a Class-3 phone, but uses only 10.3 W (maximum) in this
configuration. The 7970G is using 15.4 W due to maximum screen
brightness.
In this example, some of the phones are early prestandard units. The
indicator of standard or nonstandard varies depending the switch model
and Cisco IOS version. Failing to identify a specific class is typically a sign
of a prestandard powered device.
The show power inline command offers port-specific information
containing elements of the show cdp neighbor detail and show inline
power privileged EXEC commands:
3750# show power inline g2/0/14
(Watts)
--------- ------ ---------- ------- ------------------- ----- ----
Interface AdminPowerMax AdminConsumption

(Watts) (Watts)
---------- --------------- ------------------
Gi2/0/14 15.4 15.4
Non-Cisco Powered Device Problems

• Detection and Classification
• Surge-In Current
Detection and Classification

It is possible that some of the prestandard non-Cisco powered devices
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might not be detected by a Cisco switch, but later IEEE-compliant powered

devices should not have this problem when connected to a IEEE-compliant
Cisco switch.
CDP identifies Cisco powered devices and establishes the appropriate
power budget, but non-Cisco devices do not have the advantage of CDP. If
a non-Cisco powered device can be detected but the power class cannot
be identified, the switch must default to class 0 and allocate the maximum
power for the port. This can cause a premature depletion of the power
budget.
For example, unidentified devices might need only 6 W, but they are
allocated maximum PoE power (up to 15.4 W), and the power budget can
be depleted before all available ports on the switch have been provided
power. This results in a symptom where a known-good powered device is
connected to a known-good PoE port on a switch, but the powered device
does not power on.
Some of the newer switches, such as the Catalyst 3750-E and 3560-E can
adjust the power budget according to actual measured power usage.
Surge-In Current
Some non-Cisco devices might have an excessive surge in current when
first connected to a PoE port. The switch initially provides power to the
port, then quickly removes power due to a momentary, overcurrent
condition. The powered device appears to power on, but then quickly
powers down.
This error message from a Catalyst 3750 is possibly caused by an
overcurrent condition:
%ILPOWER-5-ILPOWER_POWER_DENY: Interface Gi1/0/1: inline power denied
This error message from a Catalyst 6000 is possibly caused by an

overcurrent condition:
%C6K_POWER-SP-1-PD_HW_FAULTY: The device connected to port 3/21 has a hardware problem.
Power is turned off on the port.
Overcurrent Protection and Available Power

Any current over 450 mA is usually considered an overcurrent condition.
All PoE switches have electronic voltage and current regulators that detect
an overcurrent threshold and disconnect DC power from the line to prevent
damage.
Cisco PoE switches have two levels of overcurrent protection:
• Electronic regulation (per port)
• Fuses (per switch)
This prevents excessive current from being delivered by the PoE port,
which could possibly result in damage to port-level components.
Earlier PoE switches such as the Catalyst 3524PWR support a nominal 6
or 7 W per port. If the line current on a particular port increases to
approximately 9 W, the switch removes power to prevent circuit damage
due to overheating.
Newer switches such as the Catalyst 3750-E, 3560-E, and 3750G support
up to 15.4 W per port. Some earlier switches might not be able to provide
15.4 W on all ports, and the maximum power delivered to all ports is limited
by a power budget. The power budget is usually related to the switch
power-supply capability and the amount of delivered power. All newer
switches can power a mix of 7.5 W and 15.4 W powered devices until the
power budget is depleted.
The Catalyst 3750-E and 3560-E switches support 15.4 W per port up to
48 ports depending on the FRU power supply installed. Switches that
provide 15.4 W per port typically remove power from the port if power
dissipation reaches approximately 17 W.
Normally the automatic electronic current regulation is completely effective,
and fuse action is very seldom necessary or observed. Fuses can either
be self-resetting (replacement not required) or a basic, fast-acting fuse that
requires replacement after burning open. Fuses are included in the PoE
power supply as a safeguard, but the port-level electronic regulators are
the primary method of overcurrent protection.
The self-resetting fuses are PTC (positive temperature coefficient)
resistors. These components are a polymer-based temperature-dependent
resistor, not actually a fuse. When activated by heat, PTC units increase in
resistance.
PTC fuses are also sensitive to high ambient temperature (inside the
Ethernet switch chassis), so these devices might appear to activate more
quickly when exposed to higher temperatures. The actual current
threshold is a factor of both heat from circuit current and heat from ambient
temperature inside the chassis. The advantage of a self-resetting fuse is, if
activated, power is restored to the line when the overcurrent condition is
corrected. The disadvantage of these devices is after the first time they
are activated, they usually exhibit a slightly higher resistance thereafter,
even when the device temperature returns to normal or ambient.
10 of 15 4/20/2011 3:16 PM
The standard, fast-acting fuses used in some switch power supplies open
if a circuit in the switch fails and causes excessive current. This is unusual,
but if it occurs, replace the power supply (if it is replaceable) or replace the
switch.
In normal operation, the electronic regulators limit the per-port PoE current
to safe levels. The fuses are a second level of safety. If an overcurrent
condition occurs on one port, it does not affect other ports.
Some Cisco switches allow manual adjustments to the power budget and
per-port control of the maximum PoE power delivered to a powered device.
In this example, the power inline consumption interface configuration
command adjusts the switch power budget to 7 W when the actual power
required by a powered device is known but cannot be determined by IEEE
classification. This prevents artificial depletion of the switch power budget:
3750E(config-if)# power inline consumption 7000
3750E# show power inline consumption
A powered device might use more power than set by the power inline
consumption command, so you must carefully make adjustments to the
power budget. An accurate power budget protects the switch from an
overcurrent condition.
In this example, the power budget is manually adjusted to 4 W on a
specific port. When a Class 3 phone was connected, it required more
power than 4 W:
Switch(config-if)# power inline consumption 4000
%ILPOWER-4-LOG_OVERDRAWN: Interface Gi1/0/1 is overdrawing power. it is consuming 4794
milliwatts where as maximum configured power is 4000 milliwatts.
In this case, there was remaining available power at system level, so

power was delivered to the powered device. The syslog message was an
alert to report the powered device exceeding the configured power budget
for the port. However, the powered device did not exceed the maximum
power delivery capability of the switch.
When the power budget has been manually adjusted at port-level, the
show power inline privileged EXEC command shows the administratively
assigned power, not the actual power used by the powered device:
Switch# show power inline
(Watts)
--------- ------ ---------- ------- ------------------- ----- ----
To see the power used by the powered device, use this command:
Switch# show cdp neighbors g5/0/1 detail
-------------------------
Device ID: SEP001121116D78
Platform: Cisco IP Phone 7970, Capabilities: Host Phone
Interface: GigabitEthernet5/0/1,
Power drawn: 6.300 Watts
Power request levels are:10250 6300 0 0 0
The power request levels for this powered device (a Cisco 7970 phone)
are 10.25 W and 6.3 W. The phone can operate at 6.3 W with reduced
screen brightness. Full screen brightness requires 10.25 W. The phone in
the example is operating at 6.3 W.
The Catalyst 3750-E, 3750, 3560-E, and 3560 series PoE switches allow
maximum power delivery to a powered device on a per-port basis. This
allows an override of the powered device classification. In this example,
the inline power static interface configuration command sets an absolute
limit of 5 W on a specific port. The powered device requires more power
than is allowed by the 5 W limit, and inline power is denied:
Switch(config-if)# inline power static max 5000
%ILPOWER-5-ILPOWER_POWER_DENY: Interface Gi5/0/1: inline power denied
An under-powered condition can result in a permanent loopback from a

Cisco-powered device, which also error disables the port. This is usually
the result of an inappropriate option error when entering the inline power
static max interface configuration command. (Set a more appropriate
power limit and then enter the shut and no shut interface configuration
commands on the port to clear an error-disabled state and to restore the
port to service.)
Enter the show interface status privileged EXEC command to review the
11 of 15 4/20/2011 3:16 PM
operational state of the port:

Switch# show interface status
Port Name Status Vlan Duplex Speed Type
Gi5/0/1 err-disabled 7 auto auto 10/100/1000BaseTX
In this example, port G5/0/1 was set to a static limit of 5 W, less than the
minimum power required by the powered device. Power was denied by the
switch port. The admin PoE status of port G5/0/1 is static, and the
maximum allowed power is 5 W:
Switch# show power inline
(Watts)
--------- ------ ---------- ------- ------------------- ----- ----
Gi5/0/1 static off 5.0 n/a n/a 5.0
Class 3 powered devices are allocated 15.4 W by default. After power is

applied and a Cisco-powered device boots up, CDP is enabled, and the
power budget can be adjusted from CDP. Some non-Cisco class-3 phones
(no CDP) use considerably less than 15.4 W maximum, although 15.4 W is
budgeted if a switch can not measure the actual power consumption. For
example, an Avaya 2620SW uses approximately 8 W maximum. If power
consumption (allocated power) is limited to 8 or 9 W, more phones can be
powered because the switch power budget is not quickly and artificially
depleted. Some powered devices can operate at reduced power, but this
usually limits the features or capability of the powered device. For
example, a Cisco 7970 phone can operate with reduced screen
brightness, using less power than the maximum advertised power
requirement.
In newer switches, per-port power can be increased from 15.4 W to 20 W
for special-purpose powered devices. Multiple ports can provide this
increased power at the same time, but the switch power budget is more
quickly depleted.
Switch(config-if)# power inline port maximum 20000
PoE LEDs
Some switches have a PoE LED in the system status group of LEDs. This
LED indicates the per-port and system PoE status, as shown in Table 2.
Table 2 Port LEDs
PoE LED
Color Status
Off PoE display mode is not selected by the mode
button. When this LED is off, none of the
10/100/1000 ports have been denied power,
and none are in a fault condition.
Green PoE mode is selected by the mode button, and

the PoE status is shown on the port LEDs. A
green port LED means that the port is
supplying PoE.
Blinking PoE mode is not selected by the mode button.

amber At least one of the 10/100/1000 ports has been
denied power, or at least one of the
10/100/1000 ports has a PoE fault.
PoE and Cable Length

A stable Ethernet link can sometimes be established on Category-5 cable
lengths up to 130 meters, especially for 10Base-T, but the standard
maximum Category 5 or Category 6 cable length for all 10/100
/1000Base-T Ethernet types is 100 meters.
Category 5 and Category 6 defines the high-frequency transmission
characteristics of cable over distance, which is important for 100Base-T
and Gigabit Ethernet. However, PoE relies mainly on the total DC
resistance of a specific length of cable, and much less on the
high-frequency transmission characteristics of the cable.
PoE is delivered as a current loop through the powered device, with
current flowing on both wires of the send pair and both wires of the receive
pair. Both wires of each pair are required to reduce DC circuit losses and
prevent excessive voltage and current drop on cables up to 100 meters
long. Using both wires of each pair is the same as using a larger wire size
for DC current delivery to the powered device.
An unreliable connection in a jack or at a patch panel can disrupt both
12 of 15 4/20/2011 3:16 PM
Ethernet and PoE. In this case, insufficient current might be delivered to

the powered device on longer cables, as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4 Open Connection
PoE requires both conductors of the send and receive pairs in order to
deliver PoE power at 100 meters cable length, as shown in Figure 5. On
shorter cables with one wire of the send or receive pair open, it might be
possible to have powered device detection and classification, but no
Ethernet link. On longer cables with an open wire in one of the pairs, it
might not be possible to detect or power-up a powered device.
The 100-meter limit for twisted-pair Ethernet cable assumes:
• Not more than four RJ-45 connection points in the transmission path
• 90 meters of solid-strand Category 5 or 5e
• 10 meters of flexible multistrand cable (2-to-5 meters of multistrand
Category 5 patch cords)
Figure 5 Cable Limitations
If multistrand wire (flexible patch cord) is used for the entire cable length, it
might not be possible to establish a stable Ethernet link on more than 60 to
70 meters of cable (depending on the transmission line characteristics).
The multistrand cable can deliver adequate power to almost any powered
device at 100 meters, but multi-strand cable does not have optimum
transmission characteristics for Ethernet at 100 meters. Each RJ-45
connector in the signal path introduces a small amount of signal loss and
might also become an unreliable DC connection point.
Sometimes Ethernet performance and PoE performance problems are
related, but Ethernet links can often be established on cables too long for
effective PoE delivery. For example, some transceiver pairs can establish
an Ethernet link on 120 meters of good quality Category 5 or Category 6
cable, but a powered device that requires 15 Watts may not power up on
120 meters of cable. Maximum functional Ethernet cable length usually
depends on the capability of the connected transceivers. Maximum
delivery length of PoE usually depends on the powered-device power
requirements.
These factors significantly affect Ethernet reliability and performance:
• Cable type, typically Category 5, 5e, 6
• The amount of single-strand and multistrand wire in the signal path.
• The number of connectors in the signal path and the reliability of all
mechanical connections.
• Any shorts or opens in the signal path
• Amount of electrical noise induced into the Ethernet cable and the
resulting degradation to SNR.
These factors significantly affect PoE reliability:
• The total end-to-end DC resistance between the switch port and
13 of 15 4/20/2011 3:16 PM
powered device.
• The reliability of all mechanical connections (connectors)
• Any intermittent shorts or opens in the signal path.
• For AC detection and AC disconnect, the amount of electrical noise in
the Ethernet cable
The cable diagnostics (or TDR) feature, in most of the newer Ethernet
switches can be valuable when measuring cable length to an open or
shorted cable pair. Cable length is usually measured to an open (nothing
connected at the powered device end of the cable). Refer to the switch
software configuration guide to determine cable diagnostics TDR
availability and related commands.
Debug and PoE

Several debug functions are available for PoE troubleshooting. You can
monitor debug functions for all PoE states and events.
To see powered device detection and PoE states on a specific port, use
debug ilpower port privileged EXEC command:
Switch# debug ilpower port
This debug ilpower powerman (inline power management) example

shows information about power requests from a powered device that has
been granted inline (PoE) power:
Switch# debug ilpower powerman
Ilpower interface (Gi5/0/1) power status change, allocated power 15400
power_consumption = 6300
power_request_level[] = 10250 6300 0 0 0
Interface (Gi5/0/1) select power 10250
req id 28024, man id 2, pwr avail 15400, pwr man 10250
Note that 15.4 W was initially allocated before classification was complete
and CDP messages were processed. This powered device (a Cisco 7970
phone) has an actual power requirement of 10.25 W for screen full
brightness, but can operate with reduced screen brightness on less than
10 W.
If the port is administratively shut down while PoE is applied and
powerman debug is active, these messages (or equivalent) appear:
ilpower delete power from pd linkdown Gi5/0/1
Ilpower interface (Gi5/0/1), delete allocated power 10250
The power is no longer allocated and is returned to the switch power

budget.
This debug example shows the sequence and result of powered device
detection:
Switch# debug ilpower event
ILP uses AC Disconnect(Gi5/0/1): state=ILP_IEEE_PD_DETECTED_S, event= IEEE_PWR_GOOD_EV
ILP uses AC Disconnect(Gi5/0/1): state=ILP_LINK_UP_S, event=PHY_LINK_UP_EV
In this example, inline power is denied because the powered device is

requesting more power than is available in the switch power budget:
3w4d: %ILPOWR-7-DETECT: Interface Gi5/0/1: Power Device detected: IEEE PD
3w4d: %ILPOWER-5-ILPOWER_POWER_DENY: Interface Gi5/0/1: inline power denied
Several additional PoE debug commands are available for monitoring

specific events or functions related to detection, classification, and power
grants.
AC Power and PoE Problems

Various disturbances on the AC power line (mains) can cause unusual PoE
problems. The power supplies in various switches and powered devices
sometimes have unique reactions to AC input disturbances. Problems
14 of 15 4/20/2011 3:16 PM
caused by AC disruptions are usually temporary or one-time occurrences.

For example, a specific switch or powered device might reboot due to an
AC power problem, while other switches or powered devices might exhibit
a greater immunity to the problem.
This is a typical occurrence during lightning storms or AC power
maintenance. In a worst-case situation, a PoE power supply might appear
to shut down (no PoE output voltage to any port). It is possible the
Ethernet functions in the switch appear normal, and only the PoE functions
are disrupted or degraded, or the switch might power-down completely in
response to the AC disturbance. Powered devices might exhibit unusual
behavior.
In such cases, power cycle the switch (unplug the switch, wait at least 3
seconds, then plug it back in). This ensures a total system reset and
should restore normal operation.
When several or all PoE ports in a switch cannot provide power to
powered devices, and entering the shut and no shut interface
configuration commands does not clear the problem, verify that a power
cycle restores the switch to normal operation. If it does, suspect an AC
power disturbance as the source of the problem.
Sometimes an AC power disturbance can be so brief that it is missed by
site personnel but detected by the switch or other electronic systems. If
this happens frequently on multiple switches, carefully determine the
stability and reliability of AC power. If it often occurs on only one switch,
and other switches in the same location do not exhibit the symptom,
contact Cisco TAC for guidance.
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Troubleshooting Power Over Ethernet (PoE) - Cisco Systems

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Troubleshooting Power over Ethernet (PoE) - Cisco Systems http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3750/software/tro...

Cisco Catalyst 3750 Series Switches

Troubleshooting Categories and Symptoms

No PoE On Only One Port

Step 3 Use the show interface status privileged EXEC command to

These sections provide additional information and include command

No PoE On All Ports or a Group of Ports

Step 1 Use the show interface status privileged EXEC command to

Step 4 If there is a persistent alarm related to power, replace the power

Step 5 If there are no alarms reported by LEDs, CLI messages, or in the

Step 6 Enter the shut and no shut interface configuration commands on

In some cases, it may be appropriate to disconnect the Ethernet cables

Cisco IP Phone Disconnects or Resets

connected device (powered device) is not more than 100 meters.

Step 3 Notice what might be changing in the electrical environment at the

Note If a powered device can power up when only one powered

These sections provide additional information and include command

Non-Cisco Powered Device Does Not Work on Cisco PoE Switch

Step 2 Use the show interface status privileged EXEC command to

These links provide additional information and include command examples

• PoE Class Detection

Detection of Powered Devices

Cisco Detection (AC Discovery)

Figure 1 Powered Device

PoE Class Detection

Table 1 IEEE Standard Power Classes

IEEE Power Maximum Class

1 4W 3.84 W 9-12 mA, 14.5

2 7W 6.4 9W 17-20 mA, 23

3 15.4 W 12.95 W 26-30 mA, 33

Maintain Power Signature and Disconnect

DC Current MPS and DC Disconnect

Figure 2 DC Current Flowing Between Switch and Powered Device

A device that is locally powered by an AC power module is detected by the

100-Hz MPS and AC Disconnect

Figure 3 100-Hz Amplitude

When the powered device is disconnected, the100-Hz signal loading is

Ethernet Link MPS and Disconnect

Cisco Discovery Protocol and PoE

Monitoring Detection and Allocated Power

S - Switch, H - Host, I - IGMP, r - Repeater, P - Phone

Stack-1# show cdp neighbor detail

This example shows per-port power usage:

Interface AdminPowerMax AdminConsumption

Non-Cisco Powered Device Problems

Detection and Classification

might not be detected by a Cisco switch, but later IEEE-compliant powered

This error message from a Catalyst 6000 is possibly caused by an

Overcurrent Protection and Available Power

In this case, there was remaining available power at system level, so

An under-powered condition can result in a permanent loopback from a

operational state of the port:

Class 3 powered devices are allocated 15.4 W by default. After power is

Table 2 Port LEDs

Green PoE mode is selected by the mode button, and

Blinking PoE mode is not selected by the mode button.

PoE and Cable Length

Ethernet and PoE. In this case, insufficient current might be delivered to

Figure 4 Open Connection

Figure 5 Cable Limitations

Debug and PoE

This debug ilpower powerman (inline power management) example